Final Word

This canon, entitled “Final Word” usually has a soft, worn cover of leather or vellum that contains many translucent pages. Each page has writing only on one side, the left. On each right facing is an image of a dead body, undead creature, or other scene of carnage. Each book’s art is unique, so a Final Word can be identified by its owner or connected with its owner by a careful observer.

The book’s chapters, called Lives, each describe the level of undeath a cleric can earn by harvesting the souls of others. While few quantitative references are given, commentary seems to imply that it takes over 10,000 slayings to earn the coveted state of lichdom. The initial chapter, Death, actually describes mortal life, which Final Word likens to not yet being born (with ascension to undeath being a mortal’s true birth).

The faith prohibits resurrection or raising in any way. Curiously, committing murder on one of the faith’s unholy days (aside from a ritual sacrifice as part of the ceremony) is forbidden. There are no restrictions against killing a follower or even cleric of the faith, but since high-ranking clerics are difficult to kill, internecine conflict among them tends to involve more deceit and sabotage than actual bloodshed. Clerics wear a knotted cord on their belts that indicate the number of lives they have claimed.

Final Word is usually outlawed, but since it describes the powers and special qualities of a wide variety of undead creatures, it is considered a useful source of knowledge. Necromancers, good clerics and sages might hoard it despite the prohibition. It costs 45 gp.